Quick Read By Cathryn J. Prince Correspondent
Rodrigo Sardinha was unsettled on what to do for a living. âI wasnât from a poor family exactly, but I didnât have so many opportunities,â he says. Then he heard about Gastromotiva â a Rio de Janeiro-based nonprofit that offers vocational kitchen training, nutrition programs, and food education. Mr. Sardinhaâs decision to enroll in the initiative was life-changing: âI didnât learn just to be a technical cook,â he says. âI learned to be a better person and to look out for others.â
The Brazilian-born David Hertz founded Gastromotiva in 2006. Today more than 6,000 people have graduated from the school, many of whom have gone on to launch restaurants, food banks, and soup kitchens in their own communities. Also, in 2018 Mr. Hertz co-founded a âsocial gastronomy movement,â which now has chapters in more than 38 countries, including the United States. Among other thin